[Flail chest rescued by mechanicalventilation with early tracheotomy and physiotherapy; report of a case].

A 73-year-old man hit his fore-chest accidentally when he rode his motorcycle. A huge flail chest was observed on his central fore-chest, and multiple fractures of costal cartilage were suspected. He developed pneumonia on the 4th hospital day, and he was intubated and mechanical ventilation was initiated.